gas is 1/3 what it was earlier this year, and that was the big push for higher airl;ine fares...so when will these guys drop their price to fall in libne with the fluctuation of fuel?
bad bob
bad bob
- Thread starter laurapasinifan
- Start date
anyone seeing the rates fall yet?
I have noticed a small dip, but like most economic adjustment, it is much slower going down than it is going up.
And it won't be the gas prices (or jet fuel, in this case) that will force the prices down. It will be the reduced number of fliers. The more that people cut back on their travel plans, the lower the fares will go.
And it won't be the gas prices (or jet fuel, in this case) that will force the prices down. It will be the reduced number of fliers. The more that people cut back on their travel plans, the lower the fares will go.
I've seen prices for me more or less the same for almost the past year AA has around ballpark $109-119 each way from Tampa to either SDQ, POP, STI or PUJ for "O" or "Q" class (deep discount). I haven't found anything cheaper than that. Nothing under $100 each way unfortunately.
The fuel prices are going down but delta is raising their prices everyday for the non-rev, yield fare and buddy pass travelers. I used to be able to go from santiago to bogota via atlanta for 245 dollars RT just 1 1/2 yr ago, now the same fare for companion traveler (yield fare) is 443 dollars including taxes. This is insane.
I used to go to JFK via santiago for 240 dollars RT now its 277 RT. The buddy pass is 60 dollars more (fuel taxes).
AZB
I used to go to JFK via santiago for 240 dollars RT now its 277 RT. The buddy pass is 60 dollars more (fuel taxes).
AZB
How long will it be before the airlines become the next industry screaming poverty and demanding a bailout from the government? I'm sorry but right now fuel is cheaper than dirt and fares aren't budging, so any airline that can't make money in this environment deserves to go out of business.
Right. Via their 5 daily nonstops to Miami or the morning flight to San Juan. Though San Juan is a breeze to connect through both ways (good duty-free, a breeze to clear US immigration and Customs on the way back, and playing at the casino on my layover) I just can't stand the puddle-jumpers drom PR to DR
The best part of going home via San Juan is the amount of cheap rum I can bring home. Buy 2 bottles of Brugal really cheap in the Supermarket, keep that in your checked bag when you leave the DR. Go though US Customs in San Juan (2 bottles are allowed duty-free as long as the liquor is a product of a Caribbean Basin country) then at the duty free in San Juan, where they have like $7 and $8 bottles of Bacardi with no limit to be taken to the mainland I fill a box carrier with 4 bottles of that and carry that aboard.
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While I agree completely that airport taxes to the DR are unbelieveably high and are a hinderance to the tourist industry, I believe that in costa rica/nicaragua/panama, everyone must pay a departure tax at the airport in cash not included in the ticket taxes, while for US airline tickets to the DR, the departure tax is included.
you are correct about 26 bucks and their taxes are less than 100. still doesn't make up for the 140 bucks.
How's this for a cheap fare?
01/14/2009 NK7185 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Santo Domingo (SDQ) leave 6:00am arrive 9:15am
01/20/2009 NK718 Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) leave 10:05pm arrive 11:25pm
Airfare (roundtrip)-$16.00
Tax- $127.40
Total $143.40
Gotta love that Spirit Airlines. It doesn't get much better than this. If fact, as soon as I saw this, I booked it. (I've flown this route with them before in August so I know what to expect)
Six months ago I was certain Spirit would be doomed as a result of their bare bones service and with the cost of fuel they can't keep prices low enough to keep people flying on them despite nonexistent service. Now that oil has crashed (there's no other way to put it, oil was trading in the $30 a barrel range today), they just might make it if they keep undercuting the other carriers by as much as half or more. Putting fuel costs aside, Spirit's operating costs are a fraction of AA's. Much lower labor costs, almost everything outsourced, brand new extremely fuel efficent planes. AA absolutely cannot compete with Spirit in price so they can only compete in quality of service. Even with the economy going south and much less leisure travelers, they are still doing well with VFR traffic (visiting friends and relatives) who will go home to their country to see their family no matter what and is always looking for the best price. Their Jamaica and Haiti routes are extremely popular. and every Santo Domingo flight I have been on with them has been at least 90% full, often completely full, and they plan on serving a third city in Colombia early next year. This might give some of these people a chance to see their family a little more often with fares like these. For better or for worse, Spirit just might make it.
01/14/2009 NK7185 Fort Lauderdale (FLL) to Santo Domingo (SDQ) leave 6:00am arrive 9:15am
01/20/2009 NK718 Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Fort Lauderdale (FLL) leave 10:05pm arrive 11:25pm
Airfare (roundtrip)-$16.00
Tax- $127.40
Total $143.40
Gotta love that Spirit Airlines. It doesn't get much better than this. If fact, as soon as I saw this, I booked it. (I've flown this route with them before in August so I know what to expect)
Six months ago I was certain Spirit would be doomed as a result of their bare bones service and with the cost of fuel they can't keep prices low enough to keep people flying on them despite nonexistent service. Now that oil has crashed (there's no other way to put it, oil was trading in the $30 a barrel range today), they just might make it if they keep undercuting the other carriers by as much as half or more. Putting fuel costs aside, Spirit's operating costs are a fraction of AA's. Much lower labor costs, almost everything outsourced, brand new extremely fuel efficent planes. AA absolutely cannot compete with Spirit in price so they can only compete in quality of service. Even with the economy going south and much less leisure travelers, they are still doing well with VFR traffic (visiting friends and relatives) who will go home to their country to see their family no matter what and is always looking for the best price. Their Jamaica and Haiti routes are extremely popular. and every Santo Domingo flight I have been on with them has been at least 90% full, often completely full, and they plan on serving a third city in Colombia early next year. This might give some of these people a chance to see their family a little more often with fares like these. For better or for worse, Spirit just might make it.
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you also have airlines like United who hedged their fuel contracts following what Jetblue and Southwest had done in the past.
it's hard when you have a futures contract where you pay 100 bucks a barrel while you can buy that same barrel for a third of the price in the open market
I do agree that fares should drop in the next quarter
it's hard when you have a futures contract where you pay 100 bucks a barrel while you can buy that same barrel for a third of the price in the open market
I do agree that fares should drop in the next quarter
The prices are dropping. You just have to plan a little further out.
I rarely fly into POP because I can never find a ticket from DC for less than $500-$600 (besides the fact that I like Santiago). But I just found a ticket for late Feb. on Continental Airlines, from DCA to POP for $392.
Here in the DC area, that's a bargain. I may have to jump on it.
Vince.
I rarely fly into POP because I can never find a ticket from DC for less than $500-$600 (besides the fact that I like Santiago). But I just found a ticket for late Feb. on Continental Airlines, from DCA to POP for $392.
Here in the DC area, that's a bargain. I may have to jump on it.
Vince.
I bought a round-trip ticket, in late August of 2008, for a trip to Sosua, in May 2009, and I paid about $500.
I am traveling via American: San Diego to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to San Juan (P.R.), San Juan to POP (via turboprop).
On the way back, I'm flying POP to Miami, Miami to Dallas, Dallas to San Diego.
I bought my ticket so far in advance because, at the time of the purchase, I thought ticket prices would continue to rise with no end in sight.
I am traveling via American: San Diego to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to San Juan (P.R.), San Juan to POP (via turboprop).
On the way back, I'm flying POP to Miami, Miami to Dallas, Dallas to San Diego.
I bought my ticket so far in advance because, at the time of the purchase, I thought ticket prices would continue to rise with no end in sight.